DNS
Understand the Domain Name System and manage DNS zones and records in Havenoro CP.
Overview
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is the system that translates human-readable domain names like example.com into computer-readable IP addresses like 192.0.2.1. Think of DNS as the phonebook of the internet — when you want to visit a website, your browser looks up the domain name in DNS to find the correct server to connect to.
Without DNS, you would have to remember long strings of numbers (IP addresses) for every website you visit. This is also why you can type "google.com" instead of "142.250.190.46".
A good analogy: DNS is like a GPS for the internet. When you type a destination (domain name), DNS directs you to the correct location (server IP). If the GPS data is wrong, you end up at the wrong place — same with DNS. If your DNS records are misconfigured, your visitors will not find your website or email.
How DNS Works
When someone types your domain name into their browser, here is what happens behind the scenes:
- The browser asks the DNS system: "Where is example.com?"
- The DNS system looks up the records for your domain, starting from the root servers down to your domain's authoritative nameservers.
- It finds the IP address stored in your domain's DNS zone (usually an A or AAAA record).
- The browser connects to that IP address and loads your website.
This entire process takes a fraction of a second. The results are often cached (stored temporarily) by the browser and internet service providers, which is why changes to DNS records can take hours to fully update worldwide — this is called propagation delay.
Common DNS Record Types
DNS records are the individual instructions in your domain's DNS zone. Each record type serves a different purpose:
| Record Type | What It Does |
|---|---|
| A | Points a domain name to an IPv4 address (e.g., your server IP). This is the most common record type. |
| AAAA | Same as A, but for IPv6 addresses. |
| CNAME | Alias that points one domain name to another. For example, www.example.com can be a CNAME pointing to example.com. |
| MX | Mail Exchange records — tell email servers where to deliver email for your domain. |
| TXT | Text records that hold arbitrary information. Commonly used for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC email authentication. |
| NS | Nameserver records — specify which DNS servers are authoritative for your domain. |
How To Access DNS in Havenoro CP
- Log in to Havenoro CP.
- Navigate to the DNS tab in the top navigation bar.
- You will see a list of your domains. Click on a domain name to view its DNS zone.
- The zone file displays all the records for that domain. You can add, edit, or delete records here.
- Click Add Record to create a new record. Select the type (A, CNAME, MX, etc.), fill in the details, and save.
When You Need Custom DNS
Havenoro CP automatically sets up basic DNS records when you add a domain. You may need to edit DNS manually when:
- Pointing your domain to an external server (like a third-party hosting provider).
- Adding subdomains that point to different servers (e.g.,
shop.example.compointing to Shopify). - Setting up email services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 (requires MX record changes).
- Adding SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to improve email deliverability.
- Setting up domain verification records for SSL certificates or third-party services.
Next Steps
DNS is a broad topic. For step-by-step guidance on creating DNS zones and managing specific record types, check out the Creating DNS Zones tutorial and the DNS Records Guide.